Workers were pictured abseiling down the towers on the Queensferry Crossing as they worked on the bridge’s recent inspection.
Staff from the Dunfermline company Equinox Access Solutions carried out the inspection over three days in early October.
Managing director Jason Ross said: “This is the first time that the towers have had their principal inspection. Basically, we done a visual inspection of the towers alongside the bridge engineers.”
The £1.35 billion structure officially opened to traffic on September 4, 2017, following a ceremony attended by Queen Elizabeth. It took place exactly 53 years after the opening of the Forth Road Bridge.
Managers of the project said that the bridge would require a lot less maintenance than the Forth Road Bridge because the exterior is a continuous structure.
It’s believed that the bridge will last for at last 120 years due to this and the fact that individual cables that make up the bridge can be replaced without impacting the stability of the bridge.
(Image: Jason Ross)
Mr Ross continued: “It’s BEAR’s inspection, and they bring us in to do the rope access. Our guys go down the side of the tower collecting all the data, images, and videos. We’re their eyes and ears going down the towers.
“With the Queensferry Crossing it’s quite a straightforward process because it’s a brand-new bridge, but it still has to be inspected on a yearly or bi-yearly basis to make sure there’s no defects.
“We did the outer faces that cover the carriageway over a series of nightshifts, and the other faces during the day.”
Nick Forbes, Queensferry Crossing major bridges manager said: “BEAR Scotland recently completed the principal inspection of the external faces of the Queensferry Crossing’s reinforced concrete towers, with the support of a third-party rope access specialist.
"This was one outstanding element of the Principal Inspection of the full structure that was undertaken predominantly in 2022. The results of the inspection will be compiled in a report which is made available to Transport Scotland. The recent tower inspection is just one of many routine inspections carried out on the bridge. There were no defects of concern identified during this inspection.”
The inspection is now complete, but due to automated barriers being serviced, the Bridge is currently closed both directions south of the bridge between Scotstoun and Queensferry Junctions between 10.30pm and 6am each night from Monday, October 28 to Saturday, November 2.
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